Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 276 Seeing Luo Jue Again
Zhai Xiaojun, who was urgently summoned by Shao Yongkang to help halfway through, rolled his eyes when he heard his nemesis's words.

More than a hundred suspects, is that not enough for him, not enough to keep the First Squadron busy?

With the year-end approaching, various performance evaluations and awards are underway within the police system. Based on the two jobs the First Squadron did the day before yesterday and today, their year-end bonuses are likely to increase significantly. The police officers work hard all year, hoping for these small rewards; taking home a few inexpensive items is a way of showing their appreciation to their wives and children.

Police officers are human too; they need to earn a living and support their families. They can't do side jobs that violate regulations, but they also can't let their wives and children starve, so they have to find a way through bonuses. For ordinary police officers who have no hope of promotion, this is the only thing they can actually get.

To judge whether a team leader is excellent, one should look at whether he can lead his team to expand the amount of money involved. As for other differences in personality and work style, these are all minor details to his subordinates.

Shao Yongkang was well aware of this.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately made such a big deal out of it at this time, let alone arrested so many people.

Of course, it's not okay to eat alone.

Seeing that Zhai Xiaojun had taken the initiative to back down, and that the awesome cat and the police dogs were completely unable to continue, he then announced that he was done, leaving all the mess at the logistics park to the leftover Zhai Xiaojun, who loved to eat scraps, while he and a group of arrogant big men rumbled back to the municipal bureau.

The police convoy returned to the parking lot, making quite a commotion. Coupled with the sensational scene caused by Shao Yongkang earlier that day, office doors immediately opened to peek out curiously.

Seeing that the barbarians from the First Squadron were still arrogant and domineering, the civilian police officers suddenly realized what was going on and shook their heads speechlessly. In particular, the way they dragged out the remaining suspects like chickens made Song Guoren point at Shao Yongkang downstairs in the third-floor corridor and curse loudly.

Why do they always do this? Don't they know to go into the yard and avoid people? I've cleaned up their messes so many times, why don't they change this stupid habit!
"What the hell are you trying to hide! We want people to see that criminals never get away with it!"

Quan Chenghai wasn't afraid at all; in fact, he was quite disappointed that the practice of publicly executing criminals through target practice had been banned. Those were the days! Two shots rang out, and every petty thief in the city wouldn't dare show their face for at least two months.

Of course, these were his father's exact words; Quan Chenghai had only witnessed such a breathtaking scene a few times when he was a child. But it was precisely because of this that he was so enthusiastic about taking over his father's job and becoming a top-notch criminal investigation police officer.

"Hey, Mr. Shao, Director Yang is looking for you."

The Song man glared at Shao Yongkang with annoyance.

It was only through the subsequent remedial measures and the large-scale cleanup at the logistics park, along with the arrest of a group of suspects, that the city bureau managed to salvage its reputation. Otherwise, the fact that a major suspect almost escaped would have been enough to make the Song people want to skin him alive.

"Hehe... What's there to be afraid of! It's no big deal, and we brought them all back safe and sound, didn't we?"

Shao Yongkang waved his hand, then thought for a moment and grabbed Song Guoren's sleeve, saying, "Old Song, that cat is really something! Can't we think of a way to keep it permanently in our municipal bureau?"

"Aren't you ashamed?"

Song Guoren forcefully shook off Shao Yongkang's hand, glaring at him sideways and saying, "Everyone in the bureau knows that you messed up the entire municipal bureau and the Yangdian New District Police Station just to avoid being criticized! And now you're shamelessly trying to take advantage of a cat?"

"Hey! That's not what I meant! I just think that cat is pretty capable, and kind of weird!"

Shao Yongkang didn't know how to explain it. Was he supposed to talk to the Song people about non-materialist topics? He could joke about supernatural things normally, but if he brought it up as serious business, the Song people would hand him over to the political commissar.

"That's not called being weird, that's called being skilled!"

The Song people glared at Shao Yongkang again. "Is it so strange that Nie Guoqiang's cat is capable?"
Seeing Shao Yongkang's nonchalant attitude, Song Guoren sighed and said, "The smuggling and drug trafficking case isn't closed yet, so it's too early to talk about the future. Don't be fooled by the big fuss you've been making these past few days; if the most important smuggling case isn't solved, all of this is meaningless. Let me tell you the truth: this case has already caught the attention of the ministries and commissions, and sooner or later it will become a nationwide crackdown on smuggling and illegal drugs. If we work hard now and gather some leads, it will make the provincial and ministerial authorities look at Zhangzhou City with more respect. When the nationwide unified operation to crack down on this group comes, your current achievements will be your bragging rights, and that will be the real buzz!"

"The ministry sent people to Zhangzhou City?"

Shao Yongkang's eyes lit up.

The Song man shook his head and said, "What are you thinking? This isn't the main battlefield! The place where the ministries are stationed is definitely the place with the highest level of victimization, or the stronghold of those criminals! But no matter what, achievements are achievements, right? If the ministries solve the case based on the information and evidence we provided, who would dare not say that we are amazing? When it comes to rewarding merits, your name, Shao Yongkang, will at least appear a few more times."

"hey-hey……"

Shao Yongkang couldn't help but laugh.

Even knowing that what the Song people were saying was nonsense, even knowing that it was all rubbish until everything settled down... at least it sounded good! Even if the ministries knew his name, Shao Yongkang, they wouldn't promote him through special channels, but at least he was among his peers...

Shao Yongkang didn't expect anything else, he just hoped to show off a few more times.

Seeing the Song people turn and leave, Shao Yongkang curled his lip and changed his expression, throwing all the nonsense behind him.

The next day, the Zhangzhou Daily published news about the city police's swift crackdown on crime, restoring order to Zhangzhou and resulting in the arrest of over a hundred criminals. Shao Yongkang unsurprisingly appeared in the photos, but Song Guoren was mentioned much more frequently in the text. As for Lin Ge and the police dogs, there wasn't a single picture or even a word about them. The only mention was of a police dog unit, with the Criminal Investigation Team taking all the credit.

Lingo was very satisfied with this.

Unsurprisingly, he continued to slack off and skip work the very next day.

First, he spent the morning sunbathing in the yard, then at noon he went to Youcheng Middle School for a stroll, met up with Lin Jia, listened to her talk about her classmates, some complaints, and the midterm exams, and then, to the amazement of the milk tea shop girl, he bought Lin Jia a cup of milk tea before leaving gracefully.

Back at Zhanghe Police Station, the familiar surroundings and the familiar kittens made Lin Ge feel incredibly warm and fuzzy inside. Meanwhile, the mother tortoiseshell cat was utterly despondent, realizing that Lin Ge had once again picked up the scent of another cat.

It lazily came over and meowed at Lin Ge, then angrily swished its tail and climbed to the top of the cat tree, ignoring him. Even when Li Siyu tried to lure it with a cat treat, it remained sullen and silent. But as soon as Lin Ge went over and let out a meow, it obediently came down to eat.

This attitude made Li Siyu both angry and amused.

Realizing that I haven't been diligent enough with these cats lately, I can only secretly resolve to work harder.

"Meow?"

The lame man eagerly followed along.

It had a good time at the police station, and its fur was shiny and healthy. If it weren't for the slight limp in its leg, no one would have guessed that it was once a stray cat.

The various cat scents on Ling Ge made it feel a little anxious, so it quickly came over and whispered ingratiatingly, even offering to lick Ling Ge's fur. After being kicked by Ling Ge, it finally wandered off contentedly and lazily lay down in a corner of the yard.

"Wow!"

The little tabby was in a good mood and was very excited to see Lin Ge, jumping around in front of him as if to pounce. It wasn't angry when Lin Ge slapped it over, but instead hugged Lin Ge, held down one of its front paws, and started biting it, making Lin Ge's face turn black with exasperation, and he couldn't help but hit it again.

Snow Claw Tabby has recently become obsessed with catnip that Li Siyu bought at some point, and has been an addict in the cattery all day long. If it weren't for the fact that this thing was harmless to cats, Ringo would have wanted to beat this coward who took drugs at the police station to death.

Meanwhile, the little hawksbill turtle began to take an interest in catching mice.

According to Li Siyu's confession, when she came to work yesterday, she saw a bloody dead rat lying on her desk, which almost terrified her. It wasn't until she watched the security footage that she realized it was the work of her hawksbill turtle, who caught the silly creature all by itself and gave it to Li Siyu as a gift.

"Yeah! What an idiot! Coming to a place with so many cats to steal things, this rat must be brainless."

Lin Ge nodded in agreement with Li Siyu's sentiments, and then patted the little hawksbill turtle's head as a reward.

Looking at his companions in the yard, Lin Ge felt very satisfied.

After saying goodbye to everyone and the animals in his family, and having a rare, excellent dinner at the institute—a meal cooked by the chubby chef—he finally left leisurely and reluctantly.

After leaving, Lin Ge did not return to the municipal bureau compound. Instead, he followed Luo Jue's scent and went to the nearby residential area where Nie Guoqiang lived.

The neighborhood environment was still just as unsatisfactory, even the lighting seemed dimmer than before. However, because it was close to Zhanghe Police Station and Youcheng Primary School, Lin Ge didn't really mind and went straight to the front door of a building.

Although it's called the first floor, it's actually more like a basement level. Built to follow the terrain, its lowest point hugs the hillside slope, completely concealing the rear half of the first floor. In other words, this first floor doesn't even have the building's main passageway like the upper floors; instead, it has a separate entrance at the front, leading to a courtyard. Of course, windows are also scarce, with only one window next to the main entrance providing any natural light. However, for this reason, its rental price is very cheap.

For Luo Jue, a minor with a sick mother, it's already quite remarkable that she can live in a detached house in this place where she has no relatives or friends.

Of course, the police station certainly wasn't short of money and could have found him a better place, but Luo Jue refused. Even the house was forced upon him by Nie Guoqiang, and Luo Jue even wrote IOUs for his monthly living expenses. Well, he could finally write quite a few words, barely escaping his illiterate status.

When Lin Ge arrived, Luo Jue was resting in the courtyard with his mother. Ai Yun looked much better, and her eyes were more lively. Luo Jue helped her lie down on an old recliner, and she whispered to her son, pointing at the passersby at dusk.

Her ability to express herself had inexplicably deteriorated significantly compared to before, but the topics she discussed were now clearly engaging with the outside world. This was a symptom of unresolved mental issues, but compared to before, Luo Jue was still quite satisfied.

“Mom recognizes me now. This time it’s not a hallucination, she really knows I’m right next to her.”

Luo Jue welcomed Lin Ge in and excitedly shared the good news with him. He even brought out a bag of roasted chestnuts from inside the house, sat down and patiently peeled them, giving one to Ai Yun, then one to Lin Ge, then one to Ai Yun…

Ai Yun wasn't angry at all that a cat had stolen her son and her food. She seemed to recognize Lin Ge, tugged at Luo Jue's shoulder, pointed at Lin Ge, and chuckled.

"Fatty! Fatty!"

When Nie Zhuangzhuang walked over carrying two plates, Ai Yun was the first to spot him and excitedly waved to him.

"Next time, I'll definitely give Zheng Jiacheng a good beating!"

Nie Zhuangzhuang muttered to himself, handing the two plates of hot dishes to Luo Jue, then smilingly approached Ai Yun: "Auntie, my name isn't Fatty, it's Zhuangzhuang. Auntie, could you please change your address? I suspect everyone in the neighborhood is talking behind my back about how fat I am."

"Good boy, Fatty! Fatty is a good boy! Auntie loves Fatty, and hopes he stays healthy and doesn't get sick!"

Ai Yun smiled happily and earnestly explained to Nie Zhuangzhuang that 'Pangpang' was a good name. Looking back at Luo Jue, she even showed a hint of regret. But when Luo Jue looked up, she quickly flashed a bright smile.

This woman has completely shaken off her past unstable mental state. Even if she's currently exhibiting slightly impaired mental capacity, it's still good news that should be uplifting and comforting for everyone.

Even Lin Ge was happy for Luo Jue.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to protect you during this time. But it's okay, once Mom is feeling a little better, I can let her stay at home without worry."

Luo Jue apologized to Lin Ge very sincerely.

Lin Ge slapped him back.

Idiot! I don't need your protection! Compared to that trivial matter, your future and your mother's future are far more important!
Lin Ge glared at Luo Jue, annoyed that the guy couldn't tell the difference between right and wrong. He'd thought the two of them were back to normal just a moment ago, but how come they'd reverted to their old ways so quickly? Luo Jue's problems were even more complicated than his mother's!

However, as a cat, Lingo didn't know how to solve this problem. He could only take it one step at a time, and for now, things were moving in a positive direction.

Lin Ge got a free meal at Luo Jue's place.

Even though Nie Zhuangzhuang had already eaten at home, he still came over with a craving. Even though Luo Jue's cooking skills were probably a hundred times worse than his mother's, Nie Zhuangzhuang still ate very happily, which made Ai Yun's appetite much stronger.

After the meal, Nie Zhuangzhuang gave Luo Jue some tutoring on her studies.

Yes! A fourth-grade elementary school student teaching a fourteen-year-old boy. Even if Nie Zhuangzhuang had already successfully completed all the elementary school courses, and even if Luo Jue could easily learn the simple knowledge points of elementary and middle school without anyone teaching him, Luo Jue could still feel the advantages of systematic teaching. Many things only required a little prompting from Nie Zhuangzhuang to make him suddenly understand, while without anyone's help, who knows how long he would have to worry alone.

As darkness fell, Luo Jue finished her homework and planned to take Nie Zhuangzhuang home.

"Mom, I'll take Zhuangzhuang home."

"It's Fatty! Not Strong!"

Ai Yun insisted on emphasizing this, making Nie Zhuangzhuang, who was standing next to her, even more embarrassed.

On the other hand, Ai Yun seemed to understand the importance of studying. Throughout Luo Jue's entire study process, she never once carelessly disturbed her. When Luo Jue was in class, she would sit on the sofa looking around and even stopped Lin Ge from turning on the TV for her.

It seemed that even she knew that studying was more important than anything else for Luo Jue.

After Luo Jue left, Lin Ge and Ai Yun looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. Lin Ge had originally planned to return to the Zhangzhou Public Security Bureau, but he had to wait for Luo Jue to come back before he could say goodbye. Saying goodbye to a silly woman now would be too foolish.

Zhang opened his mouth wide and yawned, then flicked his tail and shifted to a more comfortable squatting position.

"Mimi, eat!"

When Ai Yun saw the cat open its mouth, she excitedly rummaged through the coffee table for an orange, quickly peeled it, and tried to stuff it into Lin Ge's mouth.

"Why is it that the first time a silly person called me, it was also by the name Mimi?"

Lin Ge was extremely frustrated, completely baffled by this nickname. Could it be some kind of cosmic will that makes everyone associate the word "Mimi" with cats?
Faced with Ai Yun's attentiveness, he resisted for a moment but had no choice but to open his mouth and eat. Actually, Lin Ge usually ate fruit, but never oranges. Because every time he saw one, he would think of the dead cats on Orange Island.

"Mimi, eat some more!"

Ai Jun was extremely excited. It was rare that this cat didn't always refuse like her son, and even stuffed the food into its own mouth.

Under Ai Yun's insistence and stubbornness, the whole orange was eaten clean by Lin Ge.

Seeing that Ai Yun was having so much fun that she wanted to feed him again, Lin Ge quickly jumped off the sofa and hid.

This is where the difference between Ai Yun and ordinary people with intellectual disabilities becomes apparent. Faced with Lin Ge's avoidance, she didn't continue to act willfully, nor did she insist on satisfying her own desires. Seeing the cat jump down, she started peeling oranges for herself, muttering that she wanted to save some for her son.

This warmth and maternal love deeply moved Lin Ge.

The image of old Liu Junshu inexplicably popped into his mind, but Lin Ge quickly shook his head and dismissed it.

"I am back."

Luo Jue returned quickly, after all, she wasn't far from Nie Guoqiang. She wasn't surprised to see her mother intently peeling oranges as she entered, but after looking around, she quickly spotted Lin Ge near the pile of boxes in the corner, waved to him, and her expression was slightly serious.

Lin Ge was somewhat surprised and curiously leaned closer.

"Have you offended someone recently?"

Luo Jue's expression was not good. She stared at Lin Ge seriously and said, "When I went out, I noticed someone was watching this area, but when I came back, that person was gone. Nothing like this has happened in recent days. This is the first time."

"They're after me?"

Lin Ge paused for a moment, then instantly understood what Luo Jue meant.

Luo Jue and Ai Yun's impoverished families wouldn't be targeted. Nie Zhuangzhuang wasn't a stranger here either; it couldn't be such a coincidence. Only Lin Ge, who impulsively came for the first time today, could be the target of this stalker.

"but why?"

Lin Ge didn't quite understand the point of keeping an eye on a cat. In all this time, apart from Zhao Liang and his gang of lunatics, Lin Ge had helped solve so many cases without ever being retaliated against by any suspect or criminal accomplice.

Why is it that at this particular time, they are being targeted again?
The image of a smart drug instantly flashed into Lin Ge's mind.

As things stand, this is the only thing that the suspect behind this case, which the police are currently investigating, urgently needs to find a way to prevent from being discovered.

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(End of this chapter)